The Meaning of Tango: The Story of the Argentinian Dance

If you are interested in learning Argentine Tango, this book is a must. It is the most complete introduction to Argentine Tango written in English up to today.

Being a Tango aficionado, I consider this book to be priceless. It's not a one-time read though; it's a Reference Book which I thoroughly studied and have underlines almost every other sentence throughout. It covers the History of Tango, the various styles of dancing and of music, and the technical details of the most useful "steps". However, it's definitely NOT about steps because Tango is all about Technique, not about steps; the basic steps are only used as a vehicle for conveying the many technical issues that comprise this magical dance.The author has done a fabulous research work that I haven't seen anywhere else. She explains the sources and reasons for the development of the dance and substantiates the technical skills and nuances that are very difficult to describe in words. Thus, she uses photos, diagrams and tables to dissect every position, movement, and pose. If I had to summarize the contents of the book in a single sentence/instruction, it would be: "Keep your hearts connected throughout the dance".I do have one reservation, though. In the Music section of the book, the author has "skipped" the most-important---at least, to me---music and innovation of Astor Piazzolla; maybe she is contemplating writing a separate book about Piazzolla and his music, and I do think that this missing material would require a whole book all by itself. I AM fully aware of it that Piazzolla did not intend for his music to be danceable. Still, I consider about 10% of his ~3,000 compositions to be danceable---mostly by advanced Tangueros.I highly recommend studying this book to anyone---at any level---who aspires to become a Tango dancer. Moreover, the more advanced you already are, the more you would learn and benefit from studying this book.Thank you, Christine, for your fabulous book!

The best part of this book is Part 1 in which the author covers the history of argentine tango, its step child ballroom tango and the early preparation of dancers in the Golden Age. Inexperienced leaders danced in practicas for years before an experienced leader as a kind of sponsor would invite them to a milonga. The leader's responsibility was to be so well prepared that the follower did no wrong on the dance floor. She describes the culture of courtesy to the follower in the tanda and at the milonga and the codes. This is really the heart of the book. I also liked her review of the orchestras and their musical styles which comes in the latter part of the book.In between those two sections, the book is devoted to dance technique. As a tango dancer since 1997, I do not believe tango technique can be learned from a book-the subtleties and the connection are far and away too important. If you dance argentine tango, I recommend it for your bookshelf.Wonderfully, tango is now a UNESCO World Heritage dance. If you have read this review and do not dance tango...introduce yourself to the reality of a dance like no other.

This excellent book explains both the historical development of the Tango and also the actual dance technique of the Golden Age. I have a lot of books on the Tango and this is my favorite. I have lived many years in South America and can see that the author has spent a lot of time in Argentina and understands that culture. Thus, she has a profound understanding of the Tango, which is quite rare for a foreigner.First, the book does a great job of explaining how immigration and the various cultural / social forces in Buenos Aires influenced the development of the Tango. It is not just a dry, factual history; but rather shows how important details of the dance are based the social forces at work during the time the Tango was developed.Second, the technique section focuses on how to maintain an emotional connection between the two partners throughout the dance. It explains the posture and steps from a heartfelt place rather than merely from a mechanical approach. This helps us dancers develop a smoother, more fluid style that creates a pleasing experience for both partners.Finally, one thing I especially liked about this book was that it was not highly personal. Rather than focusing on the author’s personal life or emotional needs, it was clearly focused on the Tango. This book has become my top reference book on the Tango. Five stars!

It is rare for me to find a book on any dance that really excites and interests me. This was one of those rare books. Denniston explores the history of the tango without resorting to a list of dates and figures. Instead she focuses on the grand themes of the dance's unique history and how that shaped the way the dance developed and is viewed by its devotees. She also covers the fundamental techniques of the dance without becoming dry and boring. Instead she shows how the meaning and purpose of the dance influence the technique. Overall, this is a very enjoyable book on the tango. Not an academic book, but more a devotional book with very accessible writing on the history, culture, meaning, and technique of Argentine tango.If I have any criticism of the book, it is that the author could have offered some direct quotes or experiences from the dancers she consulted for the book. She places much emphasis on the Golden Age of the tango, how the dance developed, and the meaning those dancers derived from the dance. I enjoyed the focus she placed on these Golden Age dancers throughout the book; however, I felt she could have explored it even further and made it come alive even more if she had offered some direct quotes and experiences from the dancers she talked to. Despite this, the book is an excellent overview of the history, culture, meaning, and technique of the dance, and I greatly enjoyed it!

This little book has explained to me exactly what is going on in my head while I’m dancing. It is unbelievable!

アルゼンチンは欧州から移民した白人の多民族社会です。このため多様性に寛容で人柄も温厚です。何故か国土は豊かなのですがデホルトを繰り返しています。移民社会ですので男性が多く女性が極端に少なかったです。このためタンゴは男性同士で踊ることが多かったそうです。男の先生が男を教える。タンゴの特長１．男女Chest to Chestで胸をぴったり合わせてダンスします。　　　　　　　　これが出来なかったらタンゴではないと定義されています。 　　　　　　　　この組み方について解説図が掲載されています。　　　　　　　　日本人にはハグの習慣がありませんので中々できません。　　　　　　　　実際に胸を合わせて踊りますと安心感、幸福感が湧いてきます。不思議な世界です。　　　　　　　　これがアルゼンチンタンゴの最大の特徴だと思うのですが。特長２　気付く(awareness）閃きが大切です。これは物事の進歩には絶対必要だと思います。特長3　ダンスは即興的に踊る。ルーチン踊りではありません。ステップではなく、フィーリングを大切にする。　　　　タンゴの黄金時代は1930年から1950年ぐらいといわれています。　　　　ピアソラの出現によりタンゴの世界が大きく変化しました。　　　　社交ダンスのように踊り方の教本がないのです。自由に踊るのが基本のようです。　　　　YouTubeを見るとわかるように100人が全部踊り方が違います。　　　　先生にレッスンを受けていますが、ある時から全体の踊りは自分で考えなさいと言われました。　　　　今はParts(部品）を教えていただいています。自分の身体能力と好きなフィガーを選んで　　　　練習しています。私はヒーロ系で練習しています。足を振るボレオ系は無理です。　　　　タンゴの場合は男性は女性の踊りを全部把握していないと躍らせません。　　　　重心が右足または左または両足に乗っているのかですね。　　　　先生は私には女性に対する優しさが足りない、踊りに出ていないといわれています。　　　　私の通っている教室には96歳の女性がいます。　　　　体はあまり動かさないのですが上体の動きと表情の良さは気品に溢れて最高です。　　　私とパトナーは80以上の高齢者ですが、何とか背筋を伸ばして少しでも品良くダンスが出来れば　　　楽しいと練習しています。　　　　アルゼンチンタンゴは自分の踊りを作ることなので社交ダンスとは違った楽しみがあります。　　　　ステップ10個覚えればクラッシクからジャズ、演歌、なんでも踊れます。それは音楽を解釈して　　　　自分の踊りに取り込めばよいのです。でも今はタンゴの曲が一番好きです。　　タンゴの歴史を知り今習っているダンスがどの位置なのか、またプロの踊りを歴史的に俯瞰して　　自分の好みを知り、即興ダンスの踊りの構成の仕方を参考にして自分の踊りの構成の仕方に　　取り入れると良いです。即興ダンスは纏りのないダンスになり易いです。　　kindle本だと辞書があるのでどんどん読めます。紙本はあそこが見たい時は　　本をめくれば良いので便利ですね。私はkindle本にしました。紙本は必要に応じて中古書が良いです。　　日本ではアルゼンチンタンゴは愛と情熱の踊りといわれていますが短絡的です。もっと奥深いものを　　感じます。この本を読んでアルゼンチンタンゴは素晴らしいと感じました。　　何故なら多様性があり自分なりに進化し続けるからです。

The author made a fantastic job at writing this book: it gives you the necessary information to understand the meaning, the history, the music and the technique.I bought the book because I was aiming at a better understanding of the origins of tango and how it had developed across years. At first, I was a bit disappointed when I discovered the large section (about half) of the book dedicated to the essential technique, as I thought I knew what I needed to know on this aspect. But I soon realized the technique section is extremely well made and very useful even for skilled dancers - as it provides a very detailed understanding of why the technique is what it is, an there is a close link with the meaning of the dance.Everything in this book seems to be built on extensive research and facts. It confirms (and extends) all I knew before, including the teaching of my Argentinian teacher, and it puts it all in a very well built text. Highly recommended!

A good book of aTango, very well explains the "Heart to heart" and happiness, that you can give to your partner while dancing tango argentino. "Freeze your mind and the rest will follow" as is the spirit of Frostbite aTango festival in Helsinki Finland. This book explains the inner essence of Tango, loose your mind and the rest will follow, it takes six weeks of practica to learn to walk in a nice sensitive way. Well, that is tense but so true. Good reading to all. Those who have been dancing 6 months and over will get new and nice and humble insights and encouragement to be persistent in practica. Beginners will get encouragement to continue. Enjoyable reading.

Very nice book. To the point.